Conference Report 2025
Written by Conor Brockbank (Queen’s University Belfast)
CRS Delegate and Panellist, 67th Annual Conference
If you had recently wondered what the state of the research field was in relation to the history of the Catholic Church in Britain and Ireland, the conference held at Hinsley Hall in Leeds, between the 14-16 July 2025, would answer this in abundance. The conference provided the perfect environment for a well engaged, in-depth discussion of the Church’s history from a multitude of angles and disciplines be that history, or from the disciplinary fields of theology, english literature and sociology. Threads such as the exploration of translated publications, the use and place of memory as well as the theme of people or objects “hiding in plain sight” and the role of empire and Catholicism appeared throughout a number of papers during the conference. The following report provides reflections on the keynotes, panels, of which two papers from each have been selected, other than in one case where the papers were given as a collective, as well as an overview of the book launch that occurred during the three-day conference.
Monday 14 July
The first day of the conference began strongly with Bronagh McShane’s (Trinity) keynote which coincidentally set up one of the unintended themes of the conference with its title and content, “Hiding in Plain Sight: Women, Agency and Catholicism in the Early Modern Courts”. McShane’s work alongside Jane Ohlmeyer among others, on the VOICES project was explored here, through engaging with the wills of Irish Catholic women to impressively build a picture, across the remnants of a scattered source base, of their role in using the ecclesiastical courts system to secure the Catholic Church’s structures in Ireland at a time of attack on the church.
Bronagh McShane (Trinity College Dublin): “Hiding in Plain Sight: Women, Agency and Catholicism in the Early Modern Courts.”
Continuing after lunch, the first panel of the conference showcased the exciting and wide range of work being undertaken by recent and current PhD students in relation to Catholic Women’s networks. Madison Keightley-Phillips’ (Durham) paper revealed the evangelising work of English Catholic women within their households and local communities and the growth of the Catholic community as a result. Madison’s clear exploration of these ‘miniature parishes’ and the use of books as a tool of evangelisation in the early modern period was fascinating. Her fellow panellist, Esther Rollinson (Manchester, now Stonyhurst) paper complimented this exploration of early modern English Catholic women further when considering both their social and material literacies in their relationship with both fashion and faith.
(Left): Madison Keightley-Phillipps (Durham University): ““Reading Pious Books in Their Company”: Early Modern English Catholic Women and the Use of Missionary Texts.” (Right): Esther Rollinson (University of Manchester): “Fashion, friendship, and faith in the letters of elite Catholic women in eighteenth century England.”
A variety of approaches to the topic of transmission and translation were the focus of the final panel of the day. Paul Arblaster’s (Univerisité Saint-Louis Bruxelles) paper notably explored two translated versions of the 1627 publication of the Siege of Breda by a Flemish Jesuit. Arblaster’s in-depth consideration here of the motives, backgrounds and desires of the two translators who were both present in either the English or Irish regiments at the siege revealed the benefits of close, in-depth analysis of text. Lucia Luck’s (Durham) paper again explored two men, in this case in relation to the ecumenical relationship between a Catholic priest and a Unitarian minister in Liverpool. Luck successfully laid out their relationship one which notably focused more on politics and morality, rather than religion which was at the heart of their daily lives and existence. The advocacy across the religious divides of the Catholic priest was notably shown in his engagement with political circles on behalf of the Unitarian minister’s worry of the loss of his chapel, if the 1844 Dissenters Chapels Bill was to fail.
(Left): Paul Arblaster (Univerisité Saint-Louis Bruxelles): “The Two versions of the Siege of Breda (1627).” (Right): Lucia Luck (Durham University): ““We Cats. are or ought to be greatly obliged to the unitarians”: John Lingard’s correspondence with Radical Unitarians of Liverpool.”
Tuesday 15 July
Iconoclasm, memory and empire were the main focuses considered by the speakers on the first panel of day two. Gerard Kilroy (Ignatianum University in Kraków) and Maria Rogińska’s (Pedagogical University of Kraków) papers offered an interdisciplinary perspective on iconoclasm. Kilroy began with a historical overview of iconoclasm and the ‘culture of oblivion’ as he describes it. This provided a firm foundation for Rogińska to explore how and if iconoclasm has been remembered within England and once again the unintentional theme of memory, in this case, throughout the conference was introduced here. Their approach to using those parish guidebooks, again ‘hidden in plain sight’, which have for many years been the firm fixture at the back, or entrances, to churches to understand the place of iconoclasm within this historically written memory was nothing short of ingenious. A focus on the positives of the church’s past within these guidebooks on the work done to restore damage rather than on iconoclasm itself, and its absence of focus, was telling. Helen Kilburn’s (Notre Dame in London) paper on this panel was essential in also beginning discussions on the role and relationship of Catholicism and imperialism which was impressively examined by exploring Lord Baltimore’s residences in London as a place of the survival of recusancy and a site which contained the results of engagement with imperialism. Kilburn’s work in organising the conference and overseeing its smooth running throughout was also essential to the conference and should be duly noted here.
(Left): Gerard Kilroy (Ignatianum University in Kraków): ““So that there remain no memory”: erasing the material reformation.” (Middle): Maria Rogińska (Pedagogical University of Kraków): “Narrating Iconoclasm: Memory Strategies in English Parish Churches.” (Right): Helen Kilburn (University of Notre Dame in London): “Bringing Empire Home: The London residences of Cecil Calvert, second Lord Baltimore (1605-1675).”
The second panel of the day after the break considered a number of leading figures from J.B.Bury, Terence MacSwinney and the influence of other figures such as G.K. Chesterton. Alan Ford’s (Nottingham) exploration of Bury delved into the man himself who he described as ‘no friend of the Catholic Church’ as a Catholic historian. He undertook this through engaging with Bury’s interpretation and history of St Patrick. Placing this history not in isolation but within its own time of publication and the responses of Protestants and Catholics alike to his work on Patrick. A similar exploration of individuals, such as Chesterton was undertaken by Tiffany Hunsinger (Dayton) with a focus on the impacts of the writings of these individuals, rather than such as in the case of Ford the focuses and historical camp of the writer themselves. Hunsinger’s focus on common sense and the transferability of these writings use amongst religious evangelical communities in the United States of America was well set out and explored.
(Left): Alan Ford (University of Nottingham): “J.B. Bury: Catholic Historian.” (Right): Tiffany Hunsinger (University of Dayton): ““Common Sense and the Crossroads: British Catholic Influences on American Evangelical Tradition.”
After lunch, the second of three keynotes during the conference was given by Elizabeth Powell (Notre Dame in London) on the artistic work of the Anglo-Welsh born David Jones. Powell’s interactive presentation style engaged and asked the audience to view and interpret this artwork and she teased and brought out what we, the audience, saw within this work especially during the Q&A. The audience was encouraged to examine Jones’ work and his inclusion of religious iconography. In particular in his 1940s and 1950s paintings of Flora as well as his work reflecting on the woodland destruction in Wales and the way that Jesus is presented on the cross within this work.
Elizabeth Powell (University of Notre Dame in London): “Seeing Flora in Calix-Light with David Jones.”
Custodianship and institutions were the topics of focus during the final panel of the second day of the conference. This panel included an exploration by Ben Halligan (Wolverhampton) of R.C. Sherriff’s 1928 wartime play, Journey’s End which was put on by the schoolboys of Stonyhurst College in 1930. Halligan’s exploration explored beyond the play itself to the background of its director, a Jesuit and former army chaplain as well as the response to the play itself and its discussion within the wider school community. He sets out strongly how the building and structure of the school itself led to a wider immersive experience of the play. For those interested Halligan has written an article related to this paper in the Downside Review. Another paper on this panel, given by Jon Chant (Durham) produced a vast amount of discussion and engagement in relation to the custodianship of an institution’s records especially at a time of impending closure. Chant’s focus on the English College in Lisbon and its correspondence between Ushaw College during the earlier part of the 1970s revealed the approach they took to arrange, organise and move collections. This exploration of such a topic of preserving records and collections from religious institutions was and is timely, considering the religious institutional landscape of closure occurring across religious communities.
(Left): Ben Halligan (University of Wolverhampton): “Shrovetide Memorial: Researching the Stonyhurst College 1930 Production of Journey’s End.” (Right): Jon Chant (Durham University): “Closing Time at Lisbon: The Survival of the Library at the English College of Lisbon, 1973-75.”
The book launch of Kristof Smeyers’ (KU Leuven) recent book, Supernatural bodies: stigmata in modern Britain and Ireland (Manchester University Press, 2024) was a perfect ending to the second day of the conference. The discussion was chaired and led by Helen Kilburn (Notre Dame in London) before being opened to the floor, with the engagement and wide range of questions from the audience demonstrating the interest the book had peaked amongst those in attendance. Smeyers use of a wide range of disparate sources for the book and his favourite case, amongst the many included in the book, were features of this discussion.
Kristof Smeyers’ (KU Leuven) Book Launch, introduced by Paul Arblaster (Univerisité Saint-Louis Bruxelles) and chaired by Helen Kilburn (University of Notre Dame in London)
Wednesday 16 July
Much like the way day two of the conference began, the topic of suppression and survival were once more at the centre of the papers on the opening panel of the final day. On this
occasion the focus was not on England, but on Ireland and Scotland. Kirsten Schouwenaars-Harms (St Mary’s Twickenham) offered a theological exploration of the presence of Catholicism during the post-reformation period in the North of Scotland, through the built environment which remains. Schouwenaars-Harms presented a clear, concise and strong argument for interpreting the use of ruins as a means of evangelisation in the present-day. The specific features of the North of Scotland and why this might be the ‘heartland of Catholicism’ there, as argued by the panellist, were also clearly set out. Ryan Burns (Jacksonville State) continued with this focus on Scotland to finish off this panel. Burns’ paper was essential to understanding the differences of Scotland during the early modern period compared to England where executions for faith occurred more frequently. In the case of Scotland, the panellist made clear the importance of the Kirk and the public ways in which religious conversion was pursued, in the form of the public repentance of an individual taking place on a stool (or chair and bench). Burns’ focus on tears and their perception ‘as God’s grace’ were an interesting aspect of this paper. He demonstrated the critical and intrusive nature of these acts of public repentance, with too many or too few tears being judged as harshly as either being performative on behalf of the one repenting, or a sign of a lack of true repentance. These papers offered a great balance to the papers exploring England, providing a nuanced understanding to those present of the way memory and conversion relating to, or at the time of, the early modern period were, and are, used elsewhere.
(Left): Kristen Schouwenaars-Harms (St Mary’s University Twickenham): “Forbidden and Hidden, but not Forgotten: Revealing Post-Reformation Catholicism in the High North.” (Right): Ryan Burns (Jacksonville State University): “The Theatre of Conversion in Early Modern Scotland.”
The second panel of the day consisted of charism and personalities. Helen Knight’s (Durham) consideration of grant funded schools run by women religious offered an insight into the extensive research she has undertaken as part of her PhD. Knight began by guiding the audience seamlessly through the many educational acts and educational systems of inspection in the early decades of the twentieth century to set the scene for the exploration of the women religious in her paper. The importance of Irish women who took up religious vows within educational religious orders in England (be that in the North or Midlands of the country) shone through throughout. Leadership and the running of the schools was masterfully understood by exploring the lives of personalities of individual religious, such as the long-term work of Sr. Alphonsa Ellis in Manchester. An exciting and interesting paper was also given on this panel by Aurelia Eburne (Durham) on the proto-grand tour of the Catholic writer, Richard Lassels. Eburne’s in-depth comparison of the manuscript version of Lassels’ writings to its published version by his friend, Simon Wilson, proved again the need within research to always consider the original source and the changes that could be made to the document before, and for publication. Her upcoming research on transnational garden design during the eighteenth century, of which garden design was briefly touched on in this paper, will be one to watch out for in the coming years.
(Left): Helen Knight (Durham University): “The leaders – the women religious who led the grant funded secondary schools for girls at the beginning of the twentieth century.” (Right): Aurelia Eburne (Durham University): “Richard Lassels’ Voyage(s) of Italy: English Catholic exile and the proto-Grand Tour.”
Actions, activities and the global and transnational work and scope of both women and male religious were the focuses of the final panel of the conference. Eilish Gregory’s (Durham) focus on the female religious order of the Little Company of Mary’s (LCM) nursing activities builds on an emerging work on the transnationalism of female nursing religious. Gregory tracked how these communities were established from their original base of Nottingham in England, to Ireland and the further afield countries of Australia, among others. The wide and extensive international research which has been undertaken as part of Gregory’s work on the sisters was very apparent. Her paper demonstrated where the relationship the sisters had with patrons and local women had assisted in the work of the LCM sisters. Carmen Mangion’s (Birkbeck) paper offered a further opportunity to explore the work of women religious in their work in this case, with HIV and AIDS in England during the 1980s and 1990s. Mangion’s paper and wider research with this topic provides an essential service of capturing through oral history interviews, the individual, rather than collective religious order, endeavours and work of women religious at this time. Their engagement with the National Health Service, patients and their responses alongside that of the Catholic Church’s reaction was set-out by using the words of the 36 women religious Mangion had interviewed.
(Left): Eilish Gregory (Durham University): “The Global Networks of the Little Company of Mary, 1877-1941.” (Right): Carmen Mangion (Birkbeck University of London): ““Quiet work with very far reaching implications”: Women Religious and HIV AIDS Ministries, 1980s-1990s.”
Finishing off the conference was Gabriel Glickman (Cambridge), whose paper complimented and continued along the lines of some of the themes which Helen Kilburn (Notre Dame in London) had established the day before, namely on the relationship between empire and Catholicism in the period from 1650-1750. Glickman explored the relationship of Catholics and Catholic institutions, such as the English College in Lisbon’s connections to this theme, among others. His focus on Irish Catholics in the empire within his paper offer an interesting further insight into their roles and follows the work of individuals such as Jane Ohlmeyer in blurring the lines of the involvement, and the relationship, of the Irish within the British empire. This nicely tied both the first and final keynote together through the links they both had with the work, or involvement, of Ohlmeyer.
Gabriel Glickman (University of Cambridge): “Catholics and the beginnings of the British Empire.”
Overall, the many panels, papers, keynotes and book launch over the three days provided a strong display of the current research which is being undertaken within the wide field of Catholic history. They offered several avenues of new research which is occurring within the field, of which created an engaged, interested and thought-provoking response from those in attendance. The wide array of topics from the use of books and ruins as a tool of evangelisation to the work of women and male religious in schools, healthcare and pastoral work from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales to as far afield as Australia and Zimbabwe, showed the depth and geographic reach of this research. The last words must be again to say a thanks to Helen Kilburn (Notre Dame in London) for all her organisational work behind the scenes in making this conference possible as well as for her support and kindness.